Press: “Building the Digital Public Library”

“There are no bricks, architect, or blueprint for the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). But as John Palfrey, co-director of Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet & Security [sic], says, the DPLA has built a strong foundation through a growing and vibrant community. The project, hatched in October 2011 by the Berkman Center, hopes to create a free, open, large-scale digital public library, with a launch by April 2013.

“Palfrey spoke to librarians across the country about the DPLA yesterday at the ACRL Spring Virtual Institute.

“The core of the design process involves discussion around five elements: code, metadata, content, tools and services, and community. The project will be open-source, with content including ‘everything: texts, books, artforms, cultural heritage records,’ says Palfrey. ‘We’re starting extremely broad and will narrow it down.'”